


Silent Ordeal

by wintersoda97



Category: Soul Calibur
Genre: Other, spoilers for the epilogue to libra of souls and the evil route
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24071728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wintersoda97/pseuds/wintersoda97
Summary: Perhaps this would put an end to the endless cycle.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 4





	Silent Ordeal

**Author's Note:**

> content warning: corrupted text

The sound of snow being crushed underfoot, coupled with the eerie glow of the fissure, illuminating the snow in the dead of night, reminds him of his first visit to Norway. The visit where he first saw his companion lost in his cursed powers. The visit prior to his death.

Long before, he surmised the pattern of astral fissures of his interest. Ostrheinsburg Castle, Bhubaneswar, Bukhara, Kashgar. Anywhere the two had shared moments with one another. He knows the fissure appeared tonight, and he knows the berserker guarding it. But not by the information of Aval. 

Being one with Astral Chaos has its perks.

"C̴͙̺̥͎̖̫̋̊̓̅̈̃̚̚͜ö̴͚͖̮̯̤̲̭͎̻́͝n̸̼͛̍̿d̵̦̫̯͖͕̤̠͗̒̌̓̂ŭ̷̡̧̪͕͙̬̤̯͛̉̈̐͘͝į̵̡̳̤̪͎̝̹͖̆̍͆̈́͆̽̚̕͝ṭ̶̛̯̯̾͆̏͊̅̀̽̔, you seem different."

The berserker speaks of a name whose owner no longer recognizes. Specks of chaos swirl within lifeless eyes, reflecting upon on tired, tired eyes. Eyes that have seen more than in his lifetime in the mortal realm. 

He strides ever closer to the berserker, asking him, "Would you like to become my knight?"

A king has no luxury to look back to the haunting past. 

But he still yearns for the soul of this lionheart. 

If he were to bring the land under his rule, the ceaseless roar within his new mortal form needs to be silenced. The power of the swords spills into the fractures and faults in any spirit, with the intent to meld and mold into a single will for their own. He knows of it. Intimately. And he intends to remain the wielder.

The berserker charges at him--blades out, lungs howling, and scars dull. As to not acknowledge the ever apparent king.

He responds with a quick side-step and a firm kick to the chest, creating distance between the two as his opponent staggers back, before summoning a blade to his side. Warring for the sake of peace has been his forte for much of the king's living life. And this skirmish is no different.

With a slight head tilt, he taps on his left cheek, taunting his opponent to unleash his full power. To which, the berserker obliges with a bestial cry.

\--

His opponent lies prone on his back, panting from exertion. The king strikes his sword to the ground, barely grazing the neck. His gaze and posture cold and stern, before kneeling by his side. 

He speaks to his friend without the echo of Astral Chaos ringing in his voice, in a softer, more familiar voice, "I ask of you again. Grøh, will you stay by my side?"

He offers his hand. 

Grøh's eyes close in pensive thought before his hand reaches out. Towards the very same hand that burrowed into the earth, carving out his grave.

Rather than returning as a specter to Astral Chaos, to continue the promise that haunted them both, their forms glow, and the two souls embrace into one. 

With a hum, the King is alone.

The King moves towards the fissure, plunging His hands within, to return the darkness to the night. As He grasps the two swords that defined his past, He ponders. Perhaps, the conclusion to this ordeal would once again shift the Tower of Remembrance. 

It matters not, for the King has His sights on the dawn of a new era in this realm.

**Author's Note:**

> As I rewatched the Never Cease quest (evil route only), I asked myself, "What if an Algol DLC comes out and they both have unique lines for each other?" And then laughed. To keep the mood of the fic that I had going with the title, summary, and beginning notes, I had to withhold my ol' "hi friends!! (>w<)bb" until the end notes. Anyway, hi friends!! (>w<)bb Thanks for reading to the end!


End file.
